Silverstone Classic on ITV4

I caught the ITV4 programme on the Classic meeting last night. Although only one hour it did a lot better job of showing the racing than their previous efforts at covering both the Festival of Speed and the Revival meeting at Goodwood.

There were interviews with the winners of most of the featured races. A short interview with Murray Walker (nice to see the old boy back in action) plus a few panoramic shots of the assembled car clubs offerings. My only critique would be that Jonathan Legard was a complete numpty when it came to the model numbers of the cars and he wasn't much better at spotting what was happening with drivers during the several incidents featured.

I caught the ITV4 programme on the Classic meeting last night. Although only one hour it did a lot better job of showing the racing than their previous efforts at covering both the Festival of Speed and the Revival meeting at Goodwood.

There were interviews with the winners of most of the featured races. A short interview with Murray Walker (nice to see the old boy back in action) plus a few panoramic shots of the assembled car clubs offerings. My only critique would be that Jonathan Legard was a complete numpty when it came to the model numbers of the cars and he wasn't much better at spotting what was happening with drivers during the several incidents featured.

Certainly an eight out of ten!

I wouldn't disagree with any of that - it was certainly a lot better than I was expecting. I was dreading some kind of "B-List Celeb fest", along the lines of the rather limp effort by ITV of this year's Festival of Speed, but we were mercifully spared that.

I actually thought Louise Goodman (of whom I am not normally a huge fan) did pretty well, although I agree about Jonathan Legard. I realise that historics are probably not his forte/ specialist area of interest, but seriously - a Chevron B One-Nine?!? Please....

With regard to the driving standards, I think the MSA and/ or event organisers have to take a firm stance (perhaps along the lines of Goodwood, employing a driving standards official) and impose the appropriate sanctions against those guilty of reckless driving. Nobody wants to see a Porsche 917 driven in anger more than I, but Gary Pearson showed how it should be done - the car's (brisk but somewhat wayward) owner rather less so....

I enjoyed it. It was certainly better than their Goodwood offerings showing more of the on-track action and less of the 'hoo-ha'. The only very mild gripe is that [inevitably] they had to give fleeting coverage to some of the races that I would like to have seen more of.

Will it encourage the layman, non-dedicated enthusiast, 'eff wun' fan, etc to attend next year? I think so.

Driving standards seemed to be quite poor, so it's not just the Revival where they push so hard. Perhaps the enormous width of the track has something to do with it? Paul M

Paul,You are absolutely right : driving standards were very patchy. I thought it was considerably worse than, say, the three previous years. Too many drivers being Weekend Heroes. I co-drove an Alfa GTA in the Under Two Litre touring cars : 50 starters, 33 finishers and lots of car damage ... and this in a series where driving standards are normally well-policed. The front-end of Jason Wright's very original GTA Alfa was seriously damaged in an incident that was by all accounts avoidable. I have never spent so much time avoiding being hit and being as how I was driving someone else's car that was important. Simon Hadfield and Jackie Oliver were a model of good race-driving when they passed me, but being lapped by some of the others .... phew, get a life, Red Bull ain't going to be ringing you on Monday morning ....Nick

I assume Ledgard was commentating on the film and could only see as much as we could. I guess that we, even us, would need to watch it a good few times to pick out all that was happening, somehow it is not like seeing the whole thing live when one is aware of the complete scene.

Dire picture quality -looked like 80s video. Too much info re results- if you are that bothered just look 'em up on HSCC website. No in car stuff and - criminally - no coverage of 60s saloons and FF and FJ- which offered the best racing.But better than nowt.

Well, I say 'nine-oh-eight', 'nine-eleven' and 'nine-one-seven' - and 'three-five-six', 'five-fifty' and 'seven-one-eight'. So I suppose it's a case of what rolls off the tongue easiest.

Me too, irrespective as to whether it's decidedly uncouth or nouveau-riche as was alluded to earlier. I also say nine-five-six, nine-six-two, nine-nine-three, nine-six-four etc The only exception to the rule is nine-eleven unless the model has a specific name.

I assume Ledgard was commentating on the film and could only see as much as we could. I guess that we, even us, would need to watch it a good few times to pick out all that was happening, somehow it is not like seeing the whole thing live when one is aware of the complete scene.

But seeing a car going through a pile of sand/sawdust/whatever they use on oil spills and saying that it has just emitted an ominous puff of smoke suggests he wasn't even paying much attention to the film...

Well, I say 'nine-oh-eight', 'nine-eleven' and 'nine-one-seven' - and 'three-five-six', 'five-fifty' and 'seven-one-eight'. So I suppose it's a case of what rolls off the tongue easiest.

Yes, I too can remember when nine-eleven was a Porsche Type number.Seems to have a different meaning now, even in the non-US-speaking world.ETA but then I can remember normal people pronouncing both syllables of the word Porsche. . .

ETA but then I can remember normal people pronouncing both syllables of the word Porsche. . .

That one grates with me as well, but the pronunciation of foreign car names has always been inconsistent. If we say BMW the way we do in the UK, why not "Bay Emm Vay" as in German, why not "Fau Vay" instead of our customary VW? and why do most here say "Alfa Ro May Oh" instead of the Italian "Alfa Ro Mee Oh"? This almost deserves a thread of its own, but maybe it's more Paddock Club.

But seeing a car going through a pile of sand/sawdust/whatever they use on oil spills and saying that it has just emitted an ominous puff of smoke suggests he wasn't even paying much attention to the film...

'But seeing a car going through a pile of sand/sawdust/whatever they use on oil spills and saying that it has just emitted an ominous puff of smoke suggests he wasn't even paying much attention to the film...
'
Hmm....if the voiceover was added to the already edited pictures, you would have thought the Director would have asked him for a re-take.

'But seeing a car going through a pile of sand/sawdust/whatever they use on oil spills and saying that it has just emitted an ominous puff of smoke suggests he wasn't even paying much attention to the film...' Hmm....if the voiceover was added to the already edited pictures, you would have thought the Director would have asked him for a re-take.

Always supposing the Director was sufficiently Au Fait with the subject.

But seeing a car going through a pile of sand/sawdust/whatever they use on oil spills and saying that it has just emitted an ominous puff of smoke suggests he wasn't even paying much attention to the film...

Given I wasn't watching it closely I noticed it and was amazed that an experienced professional sat in a studio, being paid to commentate didn't see it.

It could easily have been a very good programme - footage was good, Louise Ok (not the same as Amanda Cohn/Stretton/Berridge though), but the voice over seemed to be very half arsed and his pronunciation of various names and numbers really grated.One problem with the footage is that narrow old cars look lost on such a wide circuit, some tighter views could have made it look more exciting - but the huge variety in lines being taken might have prevented that!

Legard's commentary was embarrassing and the driving standards terrible, but at least if you weren't there you got to see the action I suppose.

Sorry Gregor but that just is not right about the event even if you formed the view from the highlights. Some of the featured races included examples of suspect driving but having spent three days at the Classic in person the vast majority of the driving I witnessed was clean and professional- none more so than in FF and FJ races.

Sorry Gregor but that just is not right about the event even if you formed the view from the highlights. Some of the featured races included examples of suspect driving but having spent three days at the Classic in person the vast majority of the driving I witnessed was clean and professional- none more so than in FF and FJ races.

...and bearing in mind that some of the front runners in both HFF and HFJ are either teenagers or in their early twenties, that's particularly good to see.

Sorry Gregor but that just is not right about the event even if you formed the view from the highlights. Some of the featured races included examples of suspect driving but having spent three days at the Classic in person the vast majority of the driving I witnessed was clean and professional- none more so than in FF and FJ races.

Sorry John, but it is right in this instance. The thead is about the coverage on ITV4 and from that coverage shown the driving standards were very poor in the majority of races shown.I cannot comment on the other races and therefore reserve judgement, but what I saw I didn't like.As I said, I didn't go to the Classic this year and it was good ITV4 showed what they did for those of us who didn't have the opportunity to go, but the commentary and driving spoilt what I'm sure was a fantastic event overall.